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readwithria's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Lore was not what I wanted it to be, but that’s not the book’s fault.
I love a mythology retelling or reimagining, and that’s what I thought Lore would be. Instead, it was a giant game of hide and seek with a couple of Greek gods and multiple McGuffins. This was more of a thriller through a filter of mythology instead of what I was hoping it would be.
I think that part of the problem was the pacing. I found the first ~60-70% to be kinda boring. Once we got to the climax it definitely became more interesting, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough time given to the resolution for that climax to feel impactful. Part of that is because this book takes place over seven days, and that’s not very long, but there’s a lot of exposition and expository monologues.
Another issue I had was with the romance subplot. I did not feel any chemistry between the two love interests until the very end of the book. The pining between two secondary characters was more compelling for me. Honestly, Miles and Van are the two most interesting characters and we don’t spend nearly enough time getting to know them.
All in all, this book was fine. It did what it set out to do, I’m just not convinced that what it set out to do was particularly interesting. 3.5 stars.
I love a mythology retelling or reimagining, and that’s what I thought Lore would be. Instead, it was a giant game of hide and seek with a couple of Greek gods and multiple McGuffins. This was more of a thriller through a filter of mythology instead of what I was hoping it would be.
I think that part of the problem was the pacing. I found the first ~60-70% to be kinda boring. Once we got to the climax it definitely became more interesting, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough time given to the resolution for that climax to feel impactful. Part of that is because this book takes place over seven days, and that’s not very long, but there’s a lot of exposition and expository monologues.
Another issue I had was with the romance subplot. I did not feel any chemistry between the two love interests until the very end of the book. The pining between two secondary characters was more compelling for me. Honestly, Miles and Van are the two most interesting characters and we don’t spend nearly enough time getting to know them.
All in all, this book was fine. It did what it set out to do, I’m just not convinced that what it set out to do was particularly interesting. 3.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
lqvekanthony's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
annaparente's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Several years ago, I read The Darkest Minds, and if I’m being honest, I didn’t love it. The premise was great, and I recently flipped through the beginning of the first book, finding that, while it’s compelling, it ultimately falls short. The characters didn’t feel much like real people, and I couldn’t bring myself to care about them. Similarly, I felt the book would have been much more enjoyable to read had it been written in third person rather than first.
Consequently, I was hesitant to buy Lore, knowing I wasn’t a huge fan of Alexandra Bracken’s writing. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised. Lore is everything The Darkest Minds wasn’t. It’s quick-paced, compelling, and well thought-out. The relationships between the characters are much more nuanced, and the characters have complex backgrounds that really play into the plot and their own character development. The third person perspective was a perfect fit for the narrative.
I would recommend Lore, while I would not recommend The Darkest Minds. Regardless, it wasn’t a perfect book. Here are a few of my critiques:
- Miles was so sidelined. He played a pretty significant role in the first third-ish of the book, but after that he just disappeared — literally. I’m pretty sure there’s a whole hundred pages where he isn’t even mentioned. He started out as such a great character and then just devolved into the token mortal: the only character who was wholly tied to the real world.
- The foreshadowing felt really weak. I can’t fully describe it, but it either wasn’t suspenseful enough, or I guessed what would happen before it did.
- Pacing-wise this book falls into the same trap as The Darkest Minds. It’s the same medium pace throughout the book, not picking up when it should. Especially in the end of the book, I thought the punches could have been pulled faster, just one surprise after another. Instead, there was too much empty space between plot points. 30 pages could have been cut.
- It definitely had something to do with the pacing, but the ending left something to be desired.
What I loved and would totally recommend about the book:
- The third person perspective works very well.
- Lore and Cas are the most fleshed out characters in the book, and I adored all the flashbacks with them together. Their friends-to-lovers arc was so predictable but also so wonderful, and I loved following the complexities of their relationship throughout the book.
- Lore’s own battle with her internal conflict was wonderful. The balance between destiny and choice, and grappling with wrong choices made in the past… It was all handled very well. I really appreciated the discussion of sexism in ancient Greek culture/mythology as well. Thematically, a great novel.
- THIS BOOK IS BASICALLY PERCY JACKSON FOR OLDER TEENS. I know you could probably say that about any mythology-based book, but seriously. The amount of research that went into this book to make it mythologically accurate, the setting (NYC!), and the constant action — it was giving off strong Percy vibes for sure.
Overall, this was a very fun read. It definitely seemed like it was trying a little too hard to be something it wasn’t, but I sped through it pretty quickly and I had a good time. It wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t not recommend it, you know? Percy Jackson and fantasy fans will enjoy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny
jacq_benoit's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexism, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness
pagesbycaroline's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore and Pedophilia
grace_reads13's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and War
hollyheartless's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I will admit I had to pick this book up a couple of times to actually get started with it. Once you get to grips with the history of the characters and the world the characters are experiencing it is really thrilling. I was absolutely hooked. Would definitely recommend if you have the patience for a slow burner to start but when the action hits… it hits
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
cassy_smith's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Really enjoyed the start of the book. The story drew me in right away. However that draw didn’t stay. While the book always kept my attention while reading, I forgot about it when I put the book done. I didn’t need to know what happened to these characters. Still a solid, fun read. Kinda if about the last few chapters though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror
elntastic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, and Chronic illness
psliz's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
never did i know what was gonna happen, in a good way! honestly just a vibe, great action, sprinkles of romance, and jaw dropping twists!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Rape